1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shield member which shields a vicinity of a fuel supply opening provided in a vehicle and inhibits mud, water, and so on from entering the vicinity of the fuel supply opening.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel supply opening for supplying fuel to a vehicle consists of a tip end portion of an inlet filler pipe extending from a fuel tank. The inlet filler pipe, in general, extends from the fuel tank to a direction of a wheel housing. In addition, the tip end portion of the inlet filler pipe protrudes in a space between an outer wheel housing and an outer side member through an inner opening provided in the outer wheel housing. On the other hand, an outer opening is provided in the outer side member so as to face the inner opening. Therefore, the fuel supply opening, which is the tip end portion of the inlet filler pipe, is disposed inside the outer opening. The outer opening is covered by a fuel lid openably and closably.
By the way, there is a space formed between a peripheral portion of the outer opening and an outer periphery of the fuel lid such that the fuel lid can be opened and closed. Consequently, in rainy weathers, for example, water might possibly enter a vicinity of the fuel supply opening via the space between the peripheral portion of the outer opening and the outer periphery of the fuel lid.
A technique has been proposed in order to solve this problem. In such a technique, water, which has entered from the space between the peripheral portion of the outer opening and the outer periphery of the fuel lid, is inhibited from entering the vicinity of the fuel supply opening while the fuel lid is being closed, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication (KOKAI) No. 7-27,926, for example. FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view for schematically illustrating a vicinity of a conventional fuel supply opening of a vehicle. A fuel lid disclosed in the publication will be herein after described.
In the technique disclosed in the publication, a sealing member 162 is provided in an outer peripheral portion of a fuel lid 161. When the fuel lid 161 is closed, the sealing member 162 formed in the fuel lid 161 elastically contacts with a peripheral portion of an outer opening 160 formed in an outer side member 106, and shields a gap between the fuel lid 161 and the peripheral portion of the outer opening 160. Therefore, if the fuel lid 161 is being closed, even in rainy weathers, for example, water which has entered from the gap between the peripheral portion of the outer opening 160 and the fuel lid 161 does not reach the vicinity of a fuel supply opening 170.
However, even when this type of the fuel lid 161 is used, the fuel lid 161 is opened when supplying fuel. Consequently, when a vehicle body is wet in rainy weathers, for example, water attached to the vehicle body might slip down the body so as to drop to the vicinity of the fuel supply opening 170 via the outer opening 160. In this case, depending on where the fuel supply opening 170 is disposed, water dropped down to the fuel supply opening 170 might possibly enter the fuel supply opening 170.
Moreover, if the technique disclosed in the publication is applied, in order that the sealing member 162 elastically contacts with the peripheral portion of the outer opening 160 completely, it is necessary to make an outside diameter of the fuel lid 161 far larger than an opening diameter of the outer opening 160. This is because of a reason described below.
With the technique disclosed in the publication, the sealing member 162 comes into contact with the peripheral portion of the outer opening 160 upon closing the fuel lid 161, and it comes into apart from the periphery of the outer opening 160 upon opening the fuel lid 161. Generally, the fuel lid 161 is pivotably supported by the outer side member 106, and swings to open and close the outer opening 160. Thus, the fuel lid 161 and the sealing member 162 need to be formed as a shape which corresponds to unevenness of the opening and closing movement of the fuel lid 161. In order to correspond to unevenness of the opening and closing movement of the fuel lid 161, the fuel lid 161 needs to have the sealing member 162 shaped in a manner that the sealing member 162 can contact with the outer opening 160 at a position far closer to the outer peripheral side than an inner periphery of the outer opening 160. Accordingly, the fuel lid 161 needs to be formed to have a far larger diameter than the opening diameter of the outer opening 160.
However, in recent years, in order to upgrade the decorativeness of a vehicle, there has been a demand for making the outside diameter of the fuel lid 161 to be smaller. Accordingly, in consideration of such a circumstance, it is not preferable to enlarge the outside diameter of the fuel lid 161.